In This Issue...

I’m beginning to suspect an October conspiracy: While last week’s MAKE Flickr pool submissions, on average, had a distinctly orange hue, this week they are clearly tending to black. And I’ll give dollars to donuts that next week, sure as clockwork, we’ll start to see actual jack-o-lanterns. Our featured image this week is cosplayer Jia*Jem as “Jack,” from Mass Effect 2, sporting Shawn Thorsson’s “Predator Heavy Pistol” replica prop.

Zac Carroll and his team created a moveable Front Porch that is towed by a vintage tractor. He brought this creation, complete with all sorts of nostalgic reminders of domesticity, to Maker Faire Bay Area and demonstrates its early 20th century period styling.

When a battery operated device runs out of juice, most of us reach for a fresh pair of AA’s. But when his daughter’s electronic toy piano had drained its batteries, Dominik instead installed a hand-cranked dynamo to power the instrument ad infinitum. He hacked apart an Ikea flashlight to co-opt its cranked generator and installed it inside his daughter’s plaything. Now a little bit of elbow grease keeps the tunes coming while saving the environment and a little bit of money to boot. Not only that, but he also used the remaining parts from the flashlight to upgrade a vintage bicycle light. It doesn’t get much more resourceful than that, folks! [via Ikea Hacker]